


What You Seize is What You Get

by SeaxWitch



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Crimes & Criminals, M/M, Mostly Fluff, Slow Burn, Some humour
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-18
Updated: 2018-03-22
Packaged: 2019-04-04 08:03:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,547
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14015871
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SeaxWitch/pseuds/SeaxWitch
Summary: One of the world’s most powerful crime syndicates - The Black Phantoms - are very interested in two established criminals; Theo Raeken, a card counter and casino scammer from Nevada and Liam Dunbar, a jewel thief from California. They bring them in to work a job together, not knowing that the two boys hate one another.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SweetPoisonedHeart](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SweetPoisonedHeart/gifts).



The glow of a thousand slot machines lights the way as Theo moves dejectedly from the bar, a drink in hand. He might be down, but the bartender is definitely up.

 

The rushing, robotic noises of the casino floor fills his ears - the soft murmur of crowds, the clanking of levers being pulled, the jingling of quarters, the whirring of the roulette wheel as the ball jumps from red to black.

 

He sways slightly as he ambles around the bodies in his path, lifting his head to take note of the security dotted around the floor, vigilantly watching for any funny business. His lifts his gaze a little higher still, silently counting the number of CCTV cameras. Whatever the guards miss, the eyes in the sky will be able to catch.

 

Theo’s careful to keep up his tipsy out of towner charade as he approaches the high rollers poker table. Bypassing a man in the corner sobbing about losing everything, he drops onto the red velvet stool. He slides his chips across the table to the dealer, paying to be dealt in.

 

Five cards are placed face down in front of him. He carefully bends them back, looking at his hand for the first time. Two aces and a couple of face cards, it’s not a bad start but a Three of a Kind won’t cut it here, not at this table.

 

One by one the other people around the table call and raise, Theo uses his werecoyote abilities to pick up on who actually has the cards they need and who is full of shit. The man next to Theo throws some chips onto the table, raising the pot. Theo inhales through his nose, subtle notes of smokey amber tickles at the back of his nostrils. The man is lying, he doesn’t have a hand that warrants a raise.

 

Theo picks up his stack, counting out enough to match the raise, he places them down onto the green felt tabletop. Asking to swap one card.

 

They go around the table a further twice until the woman across from him puckers her lips before folding. The man next to her, calls. The two after him both fold, so that leaves Theo and the burly man beside him.

Theo can smell the bead of sweat rolling down the back of his neck, he’s going to fold. This just won’t do, Theo needs his money to increase the pot and make this whole thing worth while. He picks up his drink, sighing as he sways gently in his seat before downing the rest of the whisky, adding a hiccup for good measure.

 

A hopeful vanilla scent breaks through the smoky amber anxiety. It worked, Theo’s got him on the hook. The man taps his cards on the table, considering his options before throwing all of his chips in. Theo is careful to hide his smile.

 

Sniffing, he looks down at his own cards. If his calculations are correct, then his four of a kind should be enough to win the entire $300,000 pot. He goes all in. In his peripherals he can see the man’s confusion but he still smells that lingering scent of hope. _Poor bastard._

 

One by one they flip their cards over. The man across the table with prominent cheekbones and sallow skin goes first, showing a five-high straight. Theo scoffs, he never stood a chance. The burly man, whose moustache is sweating now, turns his cards over displaying an ace-high flush. It’s good.. just not good enough.

 

Theo smirks as he turns over his own. His Four of a Kind is shining on the table like a beacon under the artificial casino lights.

 

“And the Four of a Kind has it” the dealer announces, shovelling the chips in Theo’s direction. He gathers them up, ignoring the sounds of profanity echoing around the table. Glancing at his watch and then up at the camera, now following his every move, he decides it’s quitting time and heads to the cash desk.

 

Theo shivers as he steps out into the cool night, pausing long enough to slip his arms into the sleeves of his coat.

 

He gasps as he’s pulled into a darkened alleyway and pushed forcefully against the brick wall. “Look, I won that money fair and square” Theo hisses, thinking a disgruntled gambler has followed him along the street.

 

“No, you didn’t” the gruff voice says. “But, that’s exactly why we’re interested in you, Theo.” The man drops his arms, allowing Theo to turn around.

 

“Who _the fuck_ are you?” Theo demands, finally getting a good look at them. The five people are wearing all black, with antiquated masks covering their faces. “And how do you know my name?”

 

“All will be explained in due time” The gruff voice says ominously as the others continue to silently stare.

 

“You know what, Fuck y-” Theo’s words are muffled by the woven sack that is placed over his head. He can’t see a damn thing. He feels something sliding around his wrists, scratching at his skin. It burns. He can hear the screeching tires of a van close by, struggling against the men, he tries to free himself but he can’t seem to make himself shift. Whatever they’ve put around him, it must contain blue ash. The only thing on earth that can keep a chimera in place.

 

* * *

 

Darkness cloaks Liam’s movements as he scales the stone exterior of the building. The jagged ridges cut into his skin but he pushes on, he doesn’t have time to worry about a few cuts and bruises. Besides, his werewolf healing will take care of it by the time he reaches the top.

 

The guard will be back around within forty minutes and he needs to be ready to make his descent as soon as he passes by. If he misses his window, it means waiting for another hour. That’s an extra sixty minutes where he could be caught. His stomach clenches, he really needs the money to help his parents out.

 

He reaches up, slotting his hand into the groove of the next stone. Using his toe-hold on a lower stone to push himself up. He’s mid-way when a chunk of the stone crumbles causing his hand to slip.

 

Time slows as the thought of an impending fall flashes through his mind, he grasps wildly for place to steady himself. He lets the small fragments of stone in his hand fall to the ground, allowing himself a better grip. The lump won’t leave his throat as he presses his cheek flat against the wall, clinging on for dear life. He takes a moment to catch his breath and calm his nerves.

 

Time is not a luxury he has a lot of though, so it’s not long until he’s moving further up the wall towards the window. The one he’d deactivated the security alarm for, during his visit, earlier in the day.

 

Three well placed moves later and he’s perched on the window sill with a lock pick in his hands. He makes quick work of the lock, sliding the glass panel inwards to open it.

 

Liam glances around the upper floor, taking note of his surroundings. There’s nothing of importance up here, his real prize is one floor down.

 

He checks his watch. Twenty seconds until the coast is clear and he can leave this dark alcove. When the second hand hits the nine exactly, he moves cautiously towards the door. If he’s timed everything perfectly then the camera feed has just switched from the northwest corner to the northeast. It gives Liam about forty-six seconds until it loops back around, he should only need five to get out the door.

 

He tiptoes silently across the floor, ducking out of the door and moving swiftly to the staircase. Growing more confident with each step.

 

He pauses outside the room. Pressing his ear against the heavy wooden door, making sure there are no guards are inside. They should be far away from this wing of the building by now, but he doesn’t want to take any chances. When he decides the coast is clear, he slips into the lightless room.

 

Liam’s eyes adjust quickly as he heads towards the case of antique rings, his eyes scanning for one in particular - a pear shaped Goldcana diamond ring that has an estimated value of one million dollars. Clicking a button on the side of his watch, the time illuminates the darkness. He has sixteen minutes to disarm the case, take the ring, replace it with a cheap decoy and get the hell out of dodge.

 

He slips his tools from his back pocket, inspecting the glass for a tiny sensor module. It’s trickier to get around than he’d anticipated, as the pressure mounts he starts to sweat. Taking a deep breath, he jiggles his tools once more and it clicks off. _Cool as a cucumber_ , he thinks to himself.

 

Once the case is open, he uses one hand to carefully snatch the real Goldcana and the other, to slot the fake back in its place. Gently he lowers the glass lid, making sure everything is lined up perfectly before resetting the sensor.

 

Just as he sets a foot onto the upper floor, a security alarm goes off. He throws his hands up in an attempt to cover his sensitive ears from the deafening wail. As he rushes towards his only means of escape, he senses movement further behind him. Whoever it is, is too far back to spot him but they’re still too close for comfort.

 

Liam attaches a grappling hook to the edge of the window, throwing the nylon rope down. He gives it a quick tug, he’s not entirely convinced it’s secure but at this point, he has no other choice. Within seconds he’s rappelling towards the ground. The chill in the air nips at his skin but he hardly feels it, too pumped up from the adrenaline.

 

He sprints for the coverage of the trees, he’s half-way to safety when he notices a man lurking, partially covered by the shadows. At least he _thinks_ it’s a man, he seems to be wearing a creepy old mask.

 

“Liam Dunbar” a monotonous voice calls out to him.

 

His stomach feels like it’s in his throat as he stumbles backwards, hitting into something solid. Glancing over his shoulder he sees four more people in the same style of mask. “Who the hell are you people?” He asks, his voice low and breathless.

 

“We need you to come with us” one of them says from behind. “We have a business proposition for you.”

 

Before he has a chance to say anything, a cotton sack is placed over his head and something is slipped over his wrists. He kicks out, trying to break free but he can’t seem to shift. _Mountain ash._ Every muscle in Liam’s body tenses up. Where are they taking him?

 

* * *

 

Theo blinks rapidly as the bag is pulled from his head, forcing his eyes to adjust to the bright light. He thinks he’s in some sort of warehouse judging by the damp, high walls and the amount of crates stacked up across the floor.

 

The same people from before, still dressed in black with their masks on, are standing in front of him. Except there are more of them now, a lot more. He’s sat in a chair but he quickly realises he’s not actually secured to it, staring down at the ground he sees why, a ring of midnight coloured ash surrounds the chair.

 

A groan to his right draws his attention, looking over he sees a face that makes his upper lip curl. Liam _fucking_ Dunbar. “ _You_ ” he snarls.

 

The boy looks dazed for a second before he turns his head, narrowing his eyes in a glare. “ _You”_ he yells, rocking his chair. “Are you behind all of this?”

 

“Oh yeah, Liam” he says bitingly. “I just wanted us to spend some quality time together. I knew you’d never go for it though, so I orchestrated your kidnapping and then stuck myself inside a circle of blue ash so neither of us _can ever leave_ ” he says, his voice growing louder.

 

“Wait, really?” Liam asks frowning.

 

“ _No_ you idiot” he rolls his eyes. “They-”

 

An irritated cough interrupts them. “Gentlemen, if you’re quite finished” a plummy voice proclaims from in front of them. A tall, slender man steps forward.

 

“We-” he says gesturing to the row of people behind him. “-Are The Black Phantoms.”

 

Theo snorts. “That-that’s what you call yourselves?”

 

A frustrated sigh echoes around the huge open space. Theo notices Liam glaring at him again, mouthing that he’s going to kill him.

 

“Right, sorry. _The Black Phantoms_. Okay, that’s a choice you’ve made. Carry on” Theo snickers, shaking his head.

 

“We are one of the most powerful crime syndicates in the world. We have over 39,000 members worldwide. You name it, we’ve been involved in it-”

 

“So, what do you need us for?” Liam asks, biting at his bottom lip. The woody coconut smell of worry seeping from his pores. Theo scoots his chair closer to the right side of the circle, the metal legs scraping against the concrete floor. He’s still a fair distance from the other boy but Liam must appreciate the thought because he throws a shy smile in Theo’s direction.

 

“We’ve been watching you and we’re impressed” the man states. “We think we could really use your particular set of _skills._ We’d like to offer you a job. _”_

 

The two boys look at one another, unsure. “Woah, no. I’m small time, I scam casino tables” Theo shrugs. “Count me out.”

 

Liam nods in agreement. “Yeah, I can’t risk getting caught. Surely there are other supernaturals out there..”

 

“Of course but none with your logistics, ideas and casino insight-” he points a finger at Theo. “-and your tech knowledge and ability to break into absolutely _anything_ , no matter how big or small.” He looks at Liam.

 

Theo stands up from his chair. “This is all very flattering but I have somewhere to be. So if you don’t mind” he says gesturing to the circle of ash. From the corner of his eye, he sees Liam stand up too, his shoulders tense like he’s ready to fight his way out.

 

The man simply nods once and two of his minions walk over to break the circles. “ _Oh_ I should probably mention, you’d each get ten million dollars up front..”

 

* * *

 

 

Liam freezes, turning his head to face Theo. “Did he just say ten _million?_ ” He whispers under his breath.

 

Theo nods. “I think so”

 

They both turn slowly to face the _strangest_ group of criminals that Liam has ever encountered.

 

“I’ll hear you out” Theo says confidently. “What would we have to do?”

 

“Another organisation has stolen something that belong to us. Something very important. They keep it locked within a secret bunker underneath their casino vault. A bunker we can’t access because we lack certain appendages-” He says wiggling his fingers.

 

“Right” Theo says impatiently. “You don’t have claws, _we get it_ . What else?” Liam’s eye twitches at his blasé attitude. If he dies because of _Theo Raeken_ , he swears he’s going to come back and haunt his ass for eternity.

 

The man stifles a laugh. “You, Theo, can break the mountain ash barrier allowing Liam access to crack the vault and then you both need to open the secret bunker.” He pauses briefly, allowing them time to soak up the information. “Everything inside the vault and the bunker is yours. Whatever you can carry but you _must_ get your hands on the book of deeds. That is all we ask.” He tilts his head to the side, like it’s no big deal. “We can’t be seen concerning ourselves with petty crime”

 

“You call a casino heist, _petty crime_?” Liam gapes. “We could get twenty-five years for that, if we’re caught.”

 

“Then don’t get caught” a nasal voice says from the row of masks.

 

“Easy for you to say” Liam huffs. “I-I need some time to think about this.”

 

“Of course” the man nods. “You have sixty seconds and then our offer expires.”

 

 _What?_ How is Liam supposed to decide something so completely life changing, in a single minute? There’s so much to consider. He-

 

“I’m in” he hears Theo say. Liam’s jaw drops as he stares at him with wide eyes. Has Theo lost his mind? Doesn’t he know how dangerous this could be?

 

“Y-yeah. Okay. Me too” Liam mumbles. He’s not sure why but the thought of Theo doing this alone makes him feel uneasy.

 

“Fantastic” the man says. “You two can begin planning the job together first thing in the morning then. Inferno will show you to your rooms.”

 

“Uh. Mr..Phantom?” Liam asks. A hot flush creeps up his neck as Theo stares blankly at him. “We’re not allowed to go home?”

 

“Once you’ve come up with a foolproof plan, you may leave” He smiles, at least Liam _thinks_ he’s smiling it’s super hard to tell with the mask on.

 

They walk wordlessly down a narrow corridor, traipsing behind ‘Inferno’ what kind of name is that anyway?

 

“It’s just a fun little nickname, I’m a demolition expert. I deal with _a lot_ of fire” she chuckles. _Shit_ he must’ve been thinking out loud. “Here you are” she says coming to a stop outside of two red, metal doors. She unlocks the doors before leaving them alone.

 

“What have we gotten ourselves into?” Liam asks in a hurried whisper.

 

“A violent crime organisation that gives each other cheesy supervillain names. Clearly.” Theo says matter of factly, raising his eyebrows.

 

Liam barks out a laugh before he can stop himself. How can someone he hates, make him feel so completely at ease.

 

“Well..goodnight” Theo says pushing his door open.

 

“Theo, wait” Liam calls out. “Do you think..could I maybe-” he growls frustratedly at himself.

 

“You better not snore. And, I get the wall side.” Is all Theo says, holding the door open for Liam to walk through. He rushes into the room, diving onto the bed before Theo has a chance to change his mind.

 

Tomorrow the hard work begins.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay.. so I lied, there's going to be 3 chapters now [insert the see-no-evil hiding monkey emoji]

The sharp tingling sensation of pins and needles wakens Theo in the morning. Lifting his head from the pillow, he glances down at his arm, seeing tufts of light brown hair poking out from where the covers are pulled up over the majority of Liam’s face. Peeling them back, he notices that Liam’s head is resting on the crook of his arm. As he attempts to wriggle free, he realises that one of Liam’s arms is draped across his waist. He never thought the young werewolf would be so clingy. 

 

A slow smile spreads over his face as he looks down at the sleeping boy.  _ He’s kinda cute.  _ Theo’s eyes widen at the thought. Liam is the last person Theo should find attractive. He’s ruined countless jobs for Theo in the past by showing up a day earlier and ransacking safety deposit boxes, resulting in a heightened security presence and leaving Theo unable to scam the tables. Weeks of planning down the drain, just like that.

 

No. He is  _ not _ attracted to Liam Dunbar. He refuses to be.

 

Lifting up the dead weight of Liam’s arm, he places it down by his side. Theo tries to slide his arm out from under Liam’s head but it must be too numb, he can’t move it. 

 

He gives a swift kick to Liam’s shin but the boy doesn’t stir. So he tries a second kick. And a third, and a fourth, eventually he rolls over. Theo clambers to his feet, leaping over the boy’s sleeping frame. Theo has no clue how a werewolf can be such a deep sleeper.

 

Breathing heavily, he pulls the door shut behind him, leaning his back against the cold metal. The freedom of the hallway feels like a breath of fresh air, compared to the mix of their scents inside the claustrophobic room. Theo ignores the way the animal inside of him is practically clawing at the surface, eager to get back in there and bask in the smell. 

 

When he’s able to think a little more clearly, he walks along the corridor in search of someone who can show him where he can begin working on a plan. The sooner they get this over and done with, the better.

 

* * *

 

The sound of a door banging closed, startles Liam awake. The bright light flooding into the room stings at his eyes, as he blinks them open slowly. It takes a moment for him to recognise his surroundings, all the memories of yesterday coming back to him. He sucks in a breath through his teeth, as he feels a stabbing pain in his shin. Pulling his knee up to his chest, he rubs his hand over the tender spot. Why does it feel like he’s been kicked?

 

Rolling his head on the pillow, he realises he’s alone in the room now. He can feel panic rising in his chest, Theo wouldn’t have run off and left him here alone with these people, would he? He pushes himself to his feet, trying to convince himself that Theo is just an early riser. 

 

A knock on the door makes him jump. He’s pulling his hoodie over his head when the door creaks open and ‘Inferno’ pokes her head in. Apparently privacy isn’t a big thing here.

 

“Sleep well?” She asks cheerfully. When she gets nothing more than a nod from Liam, she carries on talking. “Okay. Well, Theo is already in the study. You can meet up with him whenever you’re ready.”

 

A sense of calm washes over him at the sound of Theo’s name and his wolf no longer feels so restless, Liam doesn’t want to think too long and hard about what that means. “Lead the way.” He says, attempting to give her a small smile.

 

Upon entering the study, Liam sees Theo slouched back in a swivel chair, spinning slowly from left to right, looking up at the ceiling. The only other chair is located at the end of the table, meaning he absolutely  _ has _ to walk past Theo. 

 

As he takes a step closer, Theo straightens his leg, blocking Liam’s path. “What time do you call this then, Sleeping Beauty?” He asks, an amused smirk on his face.

 

Liam glances at his watch. “I call it nine-fifty-one” he keeps his voice even, waiting to see what Theo does next. When the chimera’s leg doesn’t move, Liam sighs in frustration, side stepping around the back of the chair. Theo pushes off the desk, rolling his chair backwards blocking Liam’s path once more. 

 

Liam gazes curiously at Theo, locking eyes with the boy. A soft, unreadable expression crosses over his features. It captivates him. Liam thinks that this is a glimpse of the real Theo and not the arrogant persona he projects. Liam thinks it’s beautiful,  _ he’s _ beautiful. Theo coughs uncomfortably, breaking their stare. Finally he returns his foot to the ground. 

 

Liam shuffles by him, quickly dropping down into the hard wooden chair.  _ Of course _ Theo would take the good chair for himself. He glances at the blueprints Theo has scattered across the table, but it’s not long before his eyes are drawn back to the chimera’s perfect features. Liam’s eyes roam along his jawline, working their way up to his soft cupid’s bow lips and finally landing on his greyish blue-green eyes, they’re the most amazing colour, kind of like a frozen lake or winter storm. But they’re anything but cold. It’s then Liam notices that Theo’s eyes are staring back at him, the sides crinkled in amusement. 

 

“See something you like?” Theo asks smugly, crossing his arms over his chest.

 

Liam is  _ not _ going to be the one to make Theo’s ego any bigger than it already is. “ _ No”  _ he spits out. _ “ _ I was just uh..did you kick me this morning?” Liam asks, narrowing his eyes.

 

Theo nods, his smirk turning into a full blown smile. “If you’d woken up the first time I kicked you, I wouldn’t have had to do it four more times.”

 

“You’re such a little shit” Liam grumbles, avoiding his eyes.

 

* * *

 

Theo surveys the casino blueprints in front of him, tapping his pen against the blank page of his notepad. He feels completely out of his depth. He robs safes from Casino cash rooms or cheats at cards to make his money, he doesn’t break into  _ vaults _ .

 

When Liam pulls the blueprint out from under his nose, he rolls his eyes feigning annoyance. “ _Let me see that a sec?_ _Can I have it?_ _Are you done with that?_ Any of those would have sufficed, y’know.”

 

“There’s like, four more..you can to look at any one of them and pretend to know what you’re doing” Liam huffs.

 

Embarrassment heats Theo’s face, his tongue too tied in knots to make a witty comeback. He hoped it’d be a while yet before Liam realised how completely useless he was. Without sparing the boy another glance, he tries to salvage whatever dignity he has left by grabbing the folder containing the casino’s security details and moving to the back of the room. Maybe reading over this will help settle the butterflies in his stomach.

 

Theo starts at the beginning sifting through all of the information, it’s a lot to take in. “We definitely have our work cut out for us” he mutters. 

 

Liam turns his head, smiling sympathetically at him. “We can do it though, right?”

 

For the next hour, Theo walks him through all of the ideas jumping around in his head. The best ways to distract the guards, how to avoid the cameras, how to gain access to the floors and rooms etc. Liam looks confused but Theo can tell he’s trying his hardest to absorb all of the information.

 

“This would be difficult with a team of twelve. We just have  _ us _ . I honestly don’t know what our odds are.” Theo shrugs. Pausing for a moment, he adds “there’s probably still time for you to back out, no money has exchanged hands yet.”

 

“You just said this would be almost impossible with the two of us, you really expect me to leave you on your own?” Liam asks fiercely. “Now, get over here and show me where the cameras are so we can mark them on the blueprints.”

 

Theo jumps down from the counter, moving until he’s side by side with Liam. He leans over the table, pointing at the areas Liam needs to mark. The feel of Liam’s body heat against his arm sets off a chainreaction of goosebumps down his entire left side. He subtly takes a small half step to his left, putting the distance between them that he so desperately needs but doesn’t want at all.

 

“This is going to take us months to plan” Theo sighs, dragging a hand over his face.

 

* * *

 

Liam’s insides warm at the thought of spending so much time with Theo. His mind runs over all of the ways he could stall the plans, so that it takes even longer to get through but then he remembers why they’re here. They have a job to do. He ducks his head so Theo won’t see him blushing.

 

At some point, The Black Phantoms bring them a buffet of food. It smells like heaven. Liam starts piling his plate high with food, ignoring the judgemental little smirks Theo keeps throwing his way. 

 

“I feel sick” Liam whines, pushing his plate further away from him. “I can’t concentrate anymore.”

 

Theo snorts. “That doesn’t surprise me. We’ve been at it for hours now, why don’t you go back to our room.”

 

Liam’s heart swells when Theo refers to it as  _ their _ room. “You coming?” He asks, holding the door open.

 

“Nah” Theo shakes his head. “You go on ahead, I’m going to go over this mess one more time.”

 

Liam hovers awkwardly in the doorway, not ready for them to part ways just yet despite having spent the past twelves hours together. 

 

“Okay. Fine” Theo chuckles at him. “I’m coming.” He places his hands flat on the table, pushing himself up. Lifting his hands high up in the air, stretching. 

 

They walk along the corridor to their room, escorted by two masked phantoms. Liam catches Theo shooting shy glances his way every time their shoulders brush against one another’s. He bites down hard on his bottom lip to stop his growing smile. 

 

He’s not sure how it happened, but it has. He  _ likes _ Theo Raeken. Shit.

 

* * *

 

It’s been a month since The Black Phantoms found them. A month of non-stop planning and his heart thumping painfully in his chest every time Liam looks at him. He needs to do something about his feelings. Spending twenty-four hours a day with Liam, constantly surrounding by his intoxicating smell, it’s driving him up the wall and making him snappy. He feels like a caged animal, pacing up and down the length of the room.

 

“Will you sit down, you’re making me dizzy” Liam groans, dropping his head onto the table. “So, run me through the plan one more time.”

 

Theo sighs, perching himself on the edge of the table, facing Liam. “I’m going to get a job in the Casino. It’s far enough away from the strip that they won’t know who I am, so it should be safe. It’ll be easier for me to swipe a keycard from someone higher up and get us access to where we need to go.  _ You  _ work your magic and loop the camera feed, we get you in, dress you as bar staff or something and we take the service elevator to the basement-”

 

Liam growls, cutting him off. “I don’t like it.”

 

“The elevator? Don’t tell me you’re afraid of tight spaces?” Theo scoffs. “Because you have been squeezing yourself into my bed every night for the past month..”

 

Liam’s eyes flash a golden yellow before he can stop himself. “ _ Our bed.  _ And, I wasn’t talking about the elevator. I don’t like the thought of you working there. These people are criminals.”

 

Theo’s stony expression softens. “Liam,  _ we’re _ criminals.”

 

“I meant  _ dangerous _ criminals and you know it” the boy pouts, folding his arms.

 

Theo reaches out, squeezing Liam’s shoulder tightly. The small contact sends a jolt of electricity coursing through his body. He knows he’s not the only one who feels this  _ connection _ between them when Liam melts under his touch, his eyelids slipping shut.

 

Theo can’t seem to look away from Liam’s face, it’s like some sort of spell has been cast over them. He absentmindedly begins stroking his thumb along Liam’s collarbone, enjoying the way the boy’s eyelashes flutter against his cheek.

 

Theo gasps as Liam surges forward placing his lips against Theo’s own. Liam’s hands are everywhere, up his back and over his arms and suddenly the boy is kissing him harder and deeper. Theo pulls at the fabric of Liam’s top, bringing him further into the gap between his legs. 

 

As he pulls away, a tide of warmth spreads through his body, he feels like he’s floating.

 

* * *

 

Liam stares at Theo, panting heavily. He bites his tongue holding back the urge to immediately apologise because he’s  _ not  _ sorry for what just happened. He wanted to kiss Theo and he  _ knows _ it’s what Theo wanted too.

 

A slow, breathtaking grin breaks out over Theo’s face, his hand coming up to cup at Liam’s cheek. “You give me feelings that I’m not really sure what to do with” he says quietly, his voice barely more than a whisper.

 

A firm knock on the door causes Liam to jump back. A masked face appears as the door swings open. “You two might want to get an early night, the boss man wants to hear your plan at the crack of dawn.”

 

They both nod vigorously, gathering their belongings. The nervous energy floating in the air is almost palpable. 

 

Everything is different now.


	3. Chapter 3

Tomorrow is the big day. Three long months of planning and scouting the Casino has built up to this moment. They’ve learned everything there is to know about the building, the owners and their employees. Every minute detail has been figured out and nothing can go wrong, they won’t let it.

 

Liam stands alone in the study staring at the wall of paper, a black waistcoat clutched tightly in his hands. Theo swiped a uniform from the casino for Liam to wear on the day, he’d also gotten his hands on an extra key card for Liam to modify with his own fake details, incase anyone questioned who he was or if they got separated.  

 

Liam glances at his watch. Theo arrived back from work a half hour ago, he’d broken out of Liam’s embrace placing a chaste kiss on his lips before excusing himself to change out of his work clothes. He had yet to reappear. Liam’s mouth twitches anxiously, what if he has cold feet?

 

Padding along the narrow corridor, he stops outside of their room listening for any sign of life. When all he hears is a slow, steady heartbeat, he apprehensively pushes open the door.

 

Theo is sitting on the edge of the bed, his head tilted back and his eyes closed.  _ Is he asleep? _  Liam tiptoes across the cold, hard floor until he's directly in front of Theo. Leaning down in front of the boy, he fiddles with the small buttons of his waistcoat, trying to make him more comfortable.

 

“Your hair smells like flowers” he whispers sleepily, his warm breath hitting against Liam’s neck. Goosebumps break out everywhere Theo's words touch.

 

Liam huffs out a breathy laugh. “You should really get out of your clothes and try to get some sleep. Preferably _in_ a bed this time.” 

 

Theo hums quietly, slipping his arms from his waistcoat. He pushes himself onto his feet, unbuttoning his black shirt. Liam can’t help but stare when he catches a glimpse of smooth skin beneath the thin material. He forces his eyes back up to Theo’s face, he still has his eyes closed but there’s a lazy smirk fixed into place, it’s like he knows exactly what Liam is thinking.

 

Theo slowly lets his shirt drop to the floor like he’s trying to give Liam the world’s sleepiest strip tease. It makes him smile. He places a hand on Theo’s shoulder guiding him backwards, until his calves hit against the bed frame.

 

The chimera dips his head low, brushing his lips lightly against Liam’s cheek - even that small touch sends shivers rippling across his nerve endings, making his whole body tremble. 

 

Theo rubs his palms up and down the length of Liam’s sides, lifting his t-shirt slightly. “If you want to stop, tell me now” he whispers, staring intensely into Liam’s eyes. “Or now” he mumbles, trailing soft kisses along Liam’s jaw.  

 

Liam reaches out pulling him closer against his body. Theo’s words are lost against Liam’s mouth as he kisses him gently. It wasn’t gentleness Liam wanted, not now, not after all this time but Theo looks dead on his feet and they have a long day ahead of them. “Get some sleep” he tells the boy firmly, pulling back. 

 

Theo groans low in his throat, frustrated but he doesn’t argue. “Fine, but you owe me.  _ Big time _ .”

 

“You won’t hear me arguing” Liam chuckles.

 

“Y’know, when this is all over” Theo yawns. “I wouldn’t mind seeing some of California.”

 

Liam’s stomach flutters as he watches the boy climb under the bed covers.

 

* * *

It’s almost show time. Theo bounces nervously on the balls of his feet, looking up and down the corridor for a glimpse of Liam. He wants to see him before he leaves for the casino and everything becomes chaos.

 

Theo feels his face light up as he spots him in the distance. How is he supposed to focus on a casino heist when his nerves are on fire and every cell in his body is hyper-focused on Liam?

 

Liam’s hair is sticking up in all directions like he’s been incessantly running his hands through it. “I’m going to loop the video footage at precisely 12:08, we will need to move as quickly as we can to get in and out before anyone notices-”

 

“Li,  _ I know.  _ You don’t have to worry, we’ve got this under control.” Theo says tenderly. He pauses for a second before adding “You’ll come out by the storage room. It’s important that you take the stairs to the  _ left,  _ not the right. They’ll bring you out by the back reception, it’s never busy there and  _ Miss Personality _ behind the counter is practically married to her computer screen. She won’t even look at you.”

 

Liam snorts at his nickname for Shanice - the receptionist, who might just be the most boring person Theo has ever encountered - before smirking at him. “I thought you said we have this under control?”

 

They exchange awkward goodbyes, staring longingly at one another. All the words that neither of them have the guts to say out loud, are written over both of their faces. Theo nods in understanding, reaching out to give Liam’s hand a quick squeeze. 

 

“I’ll see you on the other side” he smiles, as he climbs into his truck. He allows himself one last look at Liam in the rear view mirror before pulling out onto the busy street.

 

* * *

 

The van which Liam is in, parks in an alleyway two blocks south of the casino. He’s sitting in the back with his laptop on his knees, his fingertips flying across the keyboard as he types line after line of code, gaining himself access to the CCTV set up within the casino.

 

He glances at the time in the right corner of the laptop screen and then at his watch. One minute until he can hit the enter key, setting everything in motion. His finger taps anxiously against the empty space below his keyboard, watching the minutes pass by on the clock.

 

It’s time, in 5..4..3..2..1. Pressing enter, he watches as the camera feeds jump to the looped video he’d downloaded from their server two days before.

 

He places the laptop on the floor, sliding open the heavy door of the van. Jumping to the ground he moves hastily over to the manhole in the alleyway. The Black Phantoms had already pried it open for him, just like they said they would. 

 

“Don’t forget this” Inferno calls out, throwing a backpack out the window of the van. “You do  _ not _ want to smell like a sewer all day long, trust me. Good luck” 

 

Liam steps into the protective overalls, pulling a flashlight from the side pocket of the bag. He takes a deep breath wary of the darkness below. _You don't have time for fear_ , he thinks to himself as he descends the ladder. 

 

When he plants both of his feet on the ground, the rank smell hits him hard and fast. It makes his eyes water, it kind of reminds him of the smell of the Porta-Potties he’s used at concerts. Only ten times worse. 

 

He shines his flashlight around the tunnel trying to gather his bearings before continuing forward. His footsteps squelch in the dampness, the sound echoes through the endless tunnels.

 

Liam glances back at where the bright light of day is peeking in through the manhole. He has to take a left up ahead which means he’s going to lose sight of the light soon enough.

  
  


* * *

 

Theo spends the morning inconspicuously placing signal jammers in hidden spots around the casino. The radio noise frequency should be enough to stop the alarms from being triggered by blocking their sensors.

 

He paces the perimeter of the room, stopping to ask the casino revellers if there’s anything he can get them or to make small talk with the security guards. Gazing up at the giant clock hanging above the casino floor, he cuts his conversation with Antonio short. It’s time to meet Liam for stage two.

 

Theo waits in the back stairwell, just past the second reception. He grows more and more apprehensive with each second that Liam doesn’t show. 

 

Eventually, the door pushes open with a loud clunk. When Theo sees Liam standing at the top of the stairs with a bright smile on his face, all of his fears and doubt wash away replaced by a feeling of euphoria. He  _ loves _ Liam and if they actually get through this, he’s going to tell him.

 

“Earth to Theo” Liam smiles, waving a hand in front of his face. “You ready to go?”

 

Theo nods, leaning forward to plant a small peck on his lips. “This way” he says gesturing down the next set of stairs. 

 

They hurry down two further flights of stairs until they reach the service elevator. Liam impatiently presses the button three times. 

 

“That’s not going to make it come any faster” Theo smirks, rolling his eyes.

 

When the doors ping open a moment later, Liam glances at him with his eyebrows raised like it somehow disproves Theo’s point. “You’re a ridiculous human being” he says following the sounds of Liam’s laughter into the elevator.

 

The doors open up onto the basement level floor. They exit the elevator together, walking confidently towards the door leading to the vault. The vault guard will be on his break right now, sitting in the security room watching the looped video feed whilst he eats lunch, unaware that Theo and Liam are even down here. They swipe the keycard over the lock, slipping through the door unnoticed as it flashes green. 

 

Liam quickly gets to work on the vault door, pulling off the small toolkit he had strapped around his torso, under his shirt. He crouches down, putting his ear to the door as he fiddles with the lock, listening for that distinctive clicking sound. Theo smiles, he enjoys watching Liam work but he can’t allow himself to be distracted right now, he’s supposed to be on lookout. Turning his back on the young werewolf, he stares at the door listening intently for the sound of footsteps or a heartbeat.

 

A slow creaking sound makes him glance backwards at Liam, the vault door has popped open and he’s kneeling in front of it like he can’t quite believe he actually did it.  Theo’s heart swells with pride. 

 

“I could kiss you right now” he proclaims, pushing the door open wider, marching into the vault. He stares at all the money stacked neatly around the room. He lets out a low whistle, at a guess there must be at least $160 million in here.  

 

“Uh Theo” Liam calls out. “We have a slight problem” 

 

Theo looks over at where Liam is pushing against the empty space of the doorway, unable to cross the threshold.  _ Mountain ash. _ Theo glances at the walls and then down at his feet, his nose twitches as he scents the air. 

 

“The mountain ash is in the floor tiles” he says, his voice taut. He sighs. “If I break the ones by the door, it  _ might _ break the effect it has on the entire room.” So much for them getting in and out without a trace.

 

Liam takes two steps back as Theo inhales deeply, gathering all of his strength. He pulls his arm behind his head, forming a fist and in one swift motion he punches the ground. Both boys watch as the tiles splinter and crack before their eyes.

 

Liam takes a cautious step forward, shuffling the toe of his shoe into the doorway. Theo understand his hesitance, he doesn’t want the mind splitting headache that comes with trying to bypass mountain ash. His foot makes it into the vault without any further problems.

 

The boy moves quickly, knowing they have to make up some time. “ _You_ start looking for the secret bunker and I’ll pack the bags with money.”

 

Theo nods in affirmation, feeling his way around the room. He’s busy smoothing his palms along the walls when a symbol, with five small indents catches his eye. He flicks his fingers exposing his claws, sizing them up against the grooves. “I think I’ve found it.” He calls over his shoulder. An uneasy feeling stabs at his stomach but he's not sure why yet.

 

Liam rushes over to him, dragging two bags behind him, both filled to the brim with cold hard cash. 

 

Theo pushes his claws into the holes and a door to their right springs open. Liam peers inside, moving one foot slowly in front of the other. “I see a shelf filled with files, the deeds must be somewhere in there. Come help me look.”

 

As Theo pulls his his hand away, the door closes rapidly. His stomach sinks as Liam pounds on the door, calling out to him.  _ They can’t both be inside at the same time.  _ Theo comes to the startling realisation of why The Blank Phantoms needed _him_ in the first place. It wasn’t for his ideas, they needed a fall guy, someone expendable. He was never  _ supposed _ to make it out of here.

 

Sticking his claws back into place, he blinks hard trying to stop the tears forming in his eyes. As the secret door opens again, a wave of anxiety pours out of the room as he comes face to face with Liam.

 

“What the hell are you playing at?” The boy asks stiffly.

 

“I can’t come with you” Theo glances at the floor, he can’t bear to see the look in Liam’s eyes. “The door doesn’t stay open for long enough when I remove my hand.”

 

“ _ W-what?  _ No” Liam stutters. “They..they would’ve  _ told us _ .”

 

“It all makes sense Li, why they chose  _ us _ . We _hated_ each other, they assumed we wouldn’t think twice about screwing the other one over. We weren’t supposed to _ care _ .”

 

Liam sniffs, trying to hold back his own tears. “But I  _ do _ care. I’m not leaving you here.”

 

“You have to” Theo hisses. “Take the money and run. I want you to be safe, I  _ need _ you to be.”

 

* * *

 

Liam glances at his watch, the looped video feed will run out in six minutes.

 

“You have your parents to think about. I don’t..I have no-one that will miss me” Theo shrugs.  “ _ Don’t _ ” he growls as Liam takes a step closer to say goodbye. “Just go” he yells angrily. 

 

Liam feels like he’s on auto pilot, he moves without even realising it. Pulling the two bags behind him into the bunker, he runs over to the files and begins sifting through them for anything resembling deeds. He puts them all into a neat pile, securing them underneath his shirt and the waistband of his trousers.

 

Glancing at his watch again, the time is counting down the final three minutes of time. He looks around the room, there’s supposed to be a door here but he can’t see a thing. His chest tightens.

 

“Look for a symbol on the back wall” Theo yells, he must have sensed Liam’s panic. Liam squeezes his eyes shut as a tear escapes, rolling down his cheek. When he opens his eyes, sure enough there’s a symbol engraved into the stone wall with five perfect groove marks dotted around it. 

 

As he tries to focus on his claws, he’s distracted by small jar on the shelf next to him. He sneaks a look at his watch, one-minute and forty-five seconds.  _ Shit _ . He snatches the glass and runs back to Theo, twisting the lid off as he goes. 

 

“ _ Liam.  _ What are you doing? You don’t have time for this” He stares at Liam and then up at the security camera on the wall.

 

“Theo, I love you but  _ shut up _ . I have an idea” Liam says his voice uncertain. He circles his fingers around Theo’s wrist, pulling it away from the wall.

 

As the door bangs shut. He shakes the contents of the jar into the palm of his hand. 

 

“Those are-” Theo stammers.

 

“ _ Claws.  _ Yeah. I don’t know what creature they’re from but it might just work” Liam whispers breathily.

 

They push them into the small gaps, as Liam sticks the last claw into place, they both jump and shriek as the door springs open once more. Theo grabs a fistful of Liam’s shirt, pulling him flush against his body. “I love you too, just so we’re clear.”

 

They run through the bunker grabbing the bags from where Liam had left them on the floor. Liam’s watch beeps signalling time is up just as the second door opens onto the underground sewers. They step through, breathing a sigh of relief as it slams shut behind them. They did it, they  _ actually _ did it.

 

Liam leads the way back through the damp sewers, Theo trailing behind him. It doesn’t take them long for them to make it to the pick up point, three blocks north of the casino. They sit in silence in entire way back, both of them too exhausted and overwhelmed to speak.

 

When they pull to a stop outside of the familiar warehouse, Theo clambers out of the van first, holding his hand out for Liam to take. They each sling a bag over their shoulder and walk into the warehouse together. A united front.

 

“You  _ both _ made it back in one piece, I see. How nice” The leader of the phantoms says in a honeyed voice.

 

“No thanks to you” Liam glowers. He lifts up his shirt, pulling out the stack of paper. “I believe _these_ are what you wanted” he says, rolling up the papers and throwing them to the boss, not caring when they flutter apart scattering over the floor in front of him.

 

The Black Phantom scans the papers before nodding once. “I’m impressed. I’d like to offer you both a permanent job within our organisation, I think you could make a lot of money here.”

 

Theo barks out a laugh. “ _ For  _ _you_ , you mean. No thanks!”

 

“We’re retiring” Liam says, slipping his hand into Theo’s. “We’re not really cut out to be _heartless_ criminals, like you.”

 

They step outside into the warm sun, taking a moment to let it all soak in. They robbed a casino and got away with it.

 

“Are you okay with all of this?” Liam mumbles shyly. “I didn’t even ask if you wanted to stop. I-”

 

“I’m fine with it. Besides, I hear California is the  _ perfect _ retirement destination” he winks at Liam. “But first, we’re going back to my apartment to shower. You smell like a rotting corpse.”

 

Liam sniffs at his shoulder, wincing at the strong odour. “Yeah, well _you_ try walking through sewers  _ twice _ . I doubt you’d come out smelling like roses, asshole.”

 

Liam smiles at the sound of Theo’s laughter. They might have stolen some money but Theo also stole his heart.

  
Theo groans. “We _really_ need to work on your thinking out loud filter. I can’t listen to this on a daily basis. _What is_ _ wrong _ _with you_?” He chuckles, gently shoving at Liam’s shoulder.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally done! Feel free to let me know your thoughts :)

**Author's Note:**

> Written for a prompt by SweetPoisonedHeart 
> 
> I've never written about organised crime before so I'm not entirely convinced this is any good haha  
> Part two will be up (hopefully) by tomorrow.
> 
> As always, any thoughts and/or criticisms are welcome :)


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